1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game drag and method of mounting a game drag on an animal.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects
The transportation of large game animals which have been killed in their natural habitat is problematic. Typically, game animals such as deer, moose and elk are shot in remote wooded areas and have to be manually dragged to a roadway. Hunters are frequently alone and thus, hunters have heretofore sometimes carried a rope which they tie around a portion of the deer such as the deer's neck. Deer are frequently dragged before rigor mortis sets in and thus this prior art technique allows the deer's head to droop downwardly and catch on obstacles. If the deer is antlered, the antlers, particularly if large, will also sometimes catch the dirt, brush, log, etc., and impede an already difficult transport. If two or more hunters are available, sometimes they will grab the rear legs of an animal and rearwardly drag the animal on the ground so that the antler points are rearwardly disposed and do not as readily engage brush or other obstacles. Unfortunately, it is difficult for a hunter to grip the legs of a deer.
It is more frequent that the animal is dragged head first. Sometimes the hunter will couple the rope to the base of the antlers, however, hunters frequently employ a taxidermist to mount the antlered deer head for display and are reluctant to allow the antlers to be tied to a rope which might mar or damage the antlers.
The problem of dragging a deer is further exacerbated if the deer does not include antlers. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel game drag for dragging a game animal.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel device for lifting the head of an animal as it is being dragged.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel game drag for dragging a non-antlered deer.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a game drag having a snout loop which receives the snout of an animal to be dragged.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a game drag having a flexible line with a snout receiving loop which passes over the snout of an animal to be dragged and another portion which passes around another portion, such as the neck, of the animal, and then passes through the snout loop.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a game drag having a flaccid line provided with a snout loop forming a fixed opening therein for receiving the snout of an animal to be dragged and another portion which passes around the neck of the animal and passes through the snout loop to form a variable opening which closes on the neck of an animal as tension is applied to a drag end of a line.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a game drag of the type described including a drag end having a handle, an opposite end forming a snout loop for passing over the snout of an animal, an intermediate portion between the ends which passes through the snout loop and forms an adjustable loop which closes around the neck of an animal as tension is applied to the rope by the handle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game dragging device of a type described including mechanism for hanging the flexible line on a support, such as a tree.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a game dragging device of the type described including a draft end having a hanging hook for hanging an animal being dragged on a vertical support, such as a tree.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a game dragging device of the type described including a draft end having a hanging hook which passes over a support, such as a tree limb, and is coupled back to the line to hang the animal from a tree.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a game dragging device of the type described including a third loop coupled to a draft end of the line for receiving a hanging hook coupled to the draft end of the line after it passes over a support, such as a tree limb, for hanging the game animal from the support.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a game dragging device of the type described which includes a new and novel handle that is easier to lift and minimize the pain inflicted on the hands of the person dragging the animal.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a game dragging device of the type described including a flexible drag line having a handle coated with a layer of yieldable material.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game dragging device of the type described which will drag and concurrently lift the head of an animal being dragged.
Game dragging devices have been provided heretofore such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,164 issued to Larry J. Burlison on Jan. 6, 1981, which discloses a game dragging device that is coupled to the front legs of an animal and the neck of an animal. Unfortunately, this device allows the head and the antlers thereon allowed to droop downwardly and catch brush and the like. Also, this prior art device is relatively complicated and includes several moving parts which have to be adjusted and clamped before the device can be used. This prior art device utilizes nuts which must be threaded and are easily lost in the woods. A multiplicity of detachable parts is particularly cumbersome in the cold. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel game drag which is one piece and easily mounted on an animal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and novel game drag of the type described which includes a fixed snout loop that fits over the snout of an animal to be dragged and includes another portion which is received in the snout loop for lifting the snout loop and the front of the head of the animal relative to the neck as the animal is being dragged.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of quickly and easily coupling a deer drag device to an animal and which will facilitate the lifting of the snout of an animal as the deer is being dragged.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel method of mounting a deer drag to a game animal including forming a snout loop in a flexible drag line, passing another portion of the line around the animal's neck and through the snout loop to form a second variable loop, mounting the snout loop on an animal's snout, and then pulling on the line to close the loop lightly around the aninial's neck.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel method for mounting a drag device on a game animal including the steps of forming a snout receiving loop in a flexible drag line, forming a neck receiving loop by passing an opposite end of the line through the snout receiving loop, and mounting the snout receiving loop on the snout of an animal and mounting the neck receiving line around a portion of a neck of an animal to be dragged.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,819,923 issued to D. Anderson on Jan. 14, 1958 discloses a sling for suspending a deer including a flexible line, such as a steel wire cable, having a permanent loop which passes over a tree limb and an adjustable loop. In this prior art device, the adjustable loop is coupled to a block which is then passed through the fixed loop and passed around the legs of an animal. This prior device is also fairly large and includes a number of parts. It is important that a game drag be easily foldable and placed into a hunter's pocket. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel game drag of the type described which will fold and fit into a hunter's pocket.
Tugging a deer, which can easily weigh 200 pounds, can be painful to the hands. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel deer drag which includes a flexible drag line having a snout loop at one end and a cushioned handle at the other end.
The prior art drag rope, which does not lift the front of the deer off the ground, results in increased friction between the deer hide and the ground being traversed. This device constructed according to the present invention will aid the hunter to lift the front portion of the deer off the ground and keep it from dragging and thus, minimize the effort required to drag the deer by reducing friction between the deer and the ground. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel animal drag which will reduce the friction between the animal being dragged and the surface on which it is dragged.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.